Born To Run
by Bronwen Ackeley
Summary: For his 16th birthday, Draco receives an Enchanted, a girl magically enslaved to serve & protect him. When Draco falls in love with his guardian, an unexpected force comes crashing in on the wings of his fellow Death Eaters, and Voldemort.
1. Saviour

**Born To Run - Chapter 1**

* * *

"If this day gets any more bloody boring, I'm going to blow the roof off the Manor just to stay awake."

The indignant huff that followed that statement fell short of proving it to be a real threat. Truly, this definitely wasn't the most extravagant birthday Draco had ever had. As a Malfoy, a family normally respected and admired for their wealth and power, Draco had grown up and celebrated his birthday every year with lavish parties. If revered for nothing else but their grand celebrations, the Malfoys had at least one thing going for them when Lucius found himself behind bars in Azkaban.

This year, however, was different. There were no presents, no guests, no music, no late nights… Draco and his mother sat in their desolate, pathetic excuse for a living room (by their standards, at least) and were silent. The young Malfoy sat in an armchair and drew stick figures on the ceiling with his wand that strangely resembled Harry Potter and Company being swallowed alive by a giant snake. Mass destruction of the house aside, it was all he could do to keep his mouth shut and avoid the wrath of his mother's ever-constant temper. Draco looked over quickly to see his mother sitting stone-still on the sofa, watching the fireplace with a glazed-over look. He wondered if she missed his father or not.

Narcissa, however, was quietly in thought, waiting. After loosing her husband to the Dementors, Narcissa had encountered the sever downs of a family in ruin and was trying her best to keep her head above water. The Dark Lord had, unexpectedly, invited himself into her home and made announcement after announcement that had only served to make every situation worse. Staggering, she kept as much of it from her only child as best she could, hoping Draco would not follow his father's footsteps all the way to Azkaban. Draco's fate as a Death Eater, however, was not hers to control and in those small moments, Narcissa saw her life shift to the worst it could be. Ordered to do what the Dark Lord had himself been unable to do, she could already see Draco's future, and spent sleepless nights trying to imagine a life without her son. She could not.

Looking over at him, lazily but elegantly sprawled over their leather armchair, Narcissa fought with what little hope she had left. Severus, in his generosity, had made the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco as best he could, but she was not ready to rely solely on that. Draco was all she had left and now that he was finally sixteen, her son had inherited a birthright that may hold the key to his survival. Her only uncertainty now was whether or not to tell Draco the truth.

Sufficiently bored of drawing Potter and his friends being violently eaten alive, Draco sighed and shifted to get a view of the majestic clock by their fireplace. _Ten more minutes… _The fire crackled dimly and just barely lit the room where twilight's darkness was beginning to slip in. Draco had managed to get over his agitation about a lack of a birthday celebration by focusing on his new task at hand. It was more than he could have ever hoped for; he finally had a chance to prove his worth to the Dark Lord and become a loyal Death Eater. He was confident that he'd been chosen for a reason and Draco would do anything in his power to make sure he succeeded. The Malfoy name depended on it.

Flicking his wand gently towards the ceiling in long, steady strokes, Malfoy absentmindedly drew a face, his thoughts busily toiling on his orders. To do something so grand would surely, in the Dark Lord's eyes, be worthy of reward. He continued his drawing, envisioning becoming the hero to his family, allowing for the Malfoy name to be respected and feared once again among the wizarding world. The honour that would follow _his_ name would be passed down to generations as the only one who could loyally pull through for the Dark Lord and serve his every wish without fail. Draco's own kin, the next in the Malfoy line, would be honoured and esteemed, and the life the young prince had known as a child would be restored. His wife, beautiful, powerful and loyal, would revere him and serve at the Dark Lord's side. Above all things, Draco thought as he waved his wand, failure would doom him. Under no circumstances would he repeat the mistakes his father made. Without question, he would die before living though that failure.

Smiling to himself, Draco imagined his life in his near future with confidence. With all his will Draco would succeed at all costs. His charge was his only goal.

The young man's thoughts were interrupted, however, as his mother stirred and rose to her feet. Draco immediately stopped doodling and finally focused on the ceiling. Scribbled in soot-like magic was a girl's face, her bare shoulders touched by long waves of blond hair, her delicate features smiling with brilliant blue eyes staring off into the distance. Narcissa hissed and immediately Draco straightened to his feet. He joined his mother at the center of the room, both of them watching as the flames in the fireplace quickly grew bigger and bigger. Draco anticipated the guests he'd been told would visit today but with more distain then glee. They were not coming to celebrate his birthday, and to him that was reason enough to dislike them.

Roaring now, the fire began to glow brilliantly and his mother smoothed her dress and took a deep breath. The fire blazed green ad seconds later, three other figures stood in the room with Draco and Narcissa.

The first was a man, tall and in a tailored black suit with a long black jacket. His tie was a deep red, as was the ribbon around the top-hat he wore and the tip of the silver walking stick in his hand. Towering over the other two, he stood slightly ahead as a sign of authority, peering down at the Malfoys with a dazzling smile and eyes like liquid gold. It took Draco a moment to pull away, his goateed smile almost hypnotic.

The second man, to the left, was significantly shorter and much older. Standing with a bit of a hunch, the elder man had a crooked smile that many people would mistake as sincere. His eyes were glaring and watched the Malfoy's every movement. Dressed in trousers and a plaid blazer, Draco noticed this man held in his hands a chain of the same stunning silver as the first man's walking stick. Attached to that chain was the third figure. Cloaked with head bent down, Draco could tell nothing of who was beneath the muddy brown cloak, but noticed the chains reached from the elderly man's hands up the sleeves of the covered person. Whoever it was, these two men clearly feared their escape.

"Welcome, Clayton. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Narcissa said, breaking the silence.

"As with you, my dear Narcissa. I must say, Lucius told me you were lovely, but I'm quickly beginning to see he denied me of just how beautiful you really are."

Narcissa blushed slightly and cleared her throat in slight embarrassment.

"Thank you, Clayton. Won't you please come in?" she invited, moving aside to let them pass. Malfoy did the same.

"Thank you." Swooping passed, Clayton went to the armchair where Draco had been sitting moments ago and the elderly man moved to stand beside him. Draco watched as the cloaked person moved in time gracefully with Clayton, but the elderly man tugged needlessly on the chain, a small glint in his eyes. Without being told, the mysterious person knelt down and sat on the floor between the old man and Clayton, head still bent. Malfoy sat next to his mother on the sofa.

"So," Clayton said, velvet voice claming the tense air in the room. "This must be the young Mr. Malfoy I've been told so much about."

"Yes. He's done us very proud."

"I would imagine he has, taking after the success of his father." Looking over at Draco, Clayton smiled at the young man. "Only two more years at Hogwarts and you'll be free to follow in your father's footsteps."

Draco nodded with a vague sense of agreement. If all went well, he would do the exact opposite.

"Nevertheless, Mr. Malfoy has come of age today. I must admit, no one expected the Malfoys to claim their family right for quite some time. Why so soon, Narcissa?"

"It's as I explained in my owl, Clayton," she said gently. "Without much left, I thought it only fair that Draco should obtain what's rightfully his."

Clayton smiled at Narcissa but said nothing, scanning her face. Beside him, the elderly man watched the cloaked person with angry eyes and Draco curiously eyed all three guests. Unable to contain myself, he broke the silence.

"What do you mean, what's rightfully mine?" he asked in a barking tone. Clayton said nothing but watched as Narcissa placed a hand on her son's knee and nodded to the man.

"I see…" he muttered to himself. After another moment of silence, Clayton's smile widened slightly and he addressed Draco with a pleasant voice.

"The muggles aren't as blind to magic as we've come to believe. There are some among them who possess powers of magic even our world should fear." He paused, glancing at Draco's mother quickly before returning back to him.

"In times of crisis, these people would surface by force and the non-magical muggles we are used to would torture, abuse and destroy those among them with the power of magic. Wars would prove a valuable excuse for cruel and inhuman experiments. Political agendas would serve to use the potential of these people for selfish gain. In many occasions, these people were used as weapons against their own will, and in almost every case, they would die."

Narcissa gently squeezed Draco's knee, and the young man glanced down at the covered individual with accusing eyes. Clayton placed a hand on the arm of the chair to gather back their attention.

"In the wizarding world, living silently and secretly amongst feuding muggles, there were some of us who could not stand to see any more deaths at the hands of muggles. Today, the notion of magic is all but lost in the minds of muggles, and it is proof of our success. For generations, affluent families have helped us to harness the power of those special individuals. For generations we've trained and protected them, and in return, families have employed their help in protecting them and their loved ones."

"In the time of the rising of the Dark Lord, many families called to us to give to them a sense of protection or aid. We provided to them the one they had helped us protect. Each generation thereafter would pass down the right to call upon us, to their children, and so it began that we collected, trained, protected and harnessed the powers of these gifted individuals, passing them on to their rightful families, securing a future for those who would otherwise be doomed to die."

Draco continued to watch as the cloaked person sat unmoving on the floor. The elderly man behind them also stared, a sick grin of enjoyment on his face. Clearly he was in his own thoughts, and gripped the chain in his hands much tighter then was obviously necessary. Clayton, however, watched Draco and Narcissa with a smile so sincere it was hard to look away from him. His golden eyes were captivating and Draco side glanced at his mother to find her transfixed to Clayton's stare. If her hand wasn't resting on Draco's knee, its clutch loosening and tightening ever so slightly, he would have thought her to be hypnotized.

"Today," Clayton continued, "we're far more of a secret than we used to be. Generation of gifted muggles have come and gone and our methods have become… outdated." He smiled sweetly again, and put a hand on the head of the person on the floor beside him. "Today these people are known as The Enchanted. They are called so because the Ministry of Magic has come to perceive our methods as slightly overbearing."

"What do you mean, 'overbearing'?" Draco asked, quickly becoming annoyed with Clayton's word play. Narcissa looked at her son from the corner of her eyes.

"The kind of magic Clayton uses is banned by the Ministry. He uses enslavement magic, which is why we call his children The Enchanted. They are literally that; enchanted by magic. To control their powers, the only way to ensure their survival, was to control them fully. Over time, an Enchanted will lose their free will."

A pause filled the room. The person on the floor was still, as if made of stone, and didn't fidget in the slightest. Staring at the muddy brown cloak, the chains that lead into the wide sleeves and the straightened back but bent head of the person before him, Malfoy felt malicious delight come over him. Slowly, as Clayton's words sank in, Malfoy put it all together and was beginning to understand where the conversation was going.

"This Enchanted belongs to my family, then?" he asked with a bit of a smirk.

"Yes. Your grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, took it upon himself to see the complete training of an Enchanted by the name of Violeta. Barely in her teens, she was taken into my care and trained to become useful. She would have otherwise been used in a medical testing facility in America for the government during their 'Civil War'. Abraxas, along with our help, rescued her and passed her down to his children, just as your father is doing for you."

Narcissa harrumphed lightly.

"And your mother, yes." He tipped his hat in her direction

"My deepest apologies, Narcissa. I'm accustomed to dealing with the males of families. This is an unexpected, albeit wonderful, change of habit for me."

Narcissa nodded, but straightened her back. She knew this story, the Violeta that Lucius had inherited and the dynamic between them. Dedicated to keeping their bloodline pure, Lucius had pushed Violeta to extremes, moulded her to take hold of her powers in new and unexpected ways. Narcissa watched for years as he put all his time and all his efforts into creating a protector for their family that would surpass the abilities of all other Enchanted. It was never about love; it was about ownership and pride. He pushed her like a machine, giving no ounce of thought to her humanity. Lucius was always very aware that aside from her gift of magic, she was a muggle. Making her better then all the rest proved his worth, value and power to those around him. Narcissa suspected that's why Violeta's betrayal was far more powerful then her gift.

Staring down beside Clayton, Narcissa could taste resentment and anger on her tongue.

"So, this is her, then? Violeta?" Draco asked, his eyes accusatory.

"No," Narcissa answered. "That disgrace would never set a foot in this Manor, even if death and destruction stood at our doorstep."

Clayton seemed amused by this and smiled wider, shaking his head ever so slightly.

"No, Mr. Malfoy. This is Sky, Violeta's daughter. My dear Violeta did not survive to see her only child's first breath. As our rules are, Sky belongs to your family just as her mother did." Despite his words of endearment, Clayton's affection for Violeta seemed hollow. Something in his tone made it seem that she was not as dear to him as he made it seem.

"Art, if you wouldn't mind presenting Sky to her new family." Clayton said with authority. Immediately, Sky began getting to her feet, but Art was quicker then his age gave away and he tugged again on the chain. She stumbled on her way up but remained standing, as if she'd expected it. She got to her feet and moved to the center of the room; clearly she was told what was to be done in this situation and needed no direction. Malfoy, on the other hand, was directed to stand facing her, and Narcissa pushed her son up from the couch. He gently shook off her hand and stood opposite the cloaked girl with a mix of fear and power in his gut. Unsure of where this was going, the only thing Draco could think of was the potential possibilities before him and how this may very well be his best birthday gift yet. He was being given a right, handed down to him from his father and grandfather, and Malfoy stuck to his pride to quell his fears of the person whose face he could not see. With no idea what to expect and entertaining the idea of a magical slave, Malfoy drew in a deep breath, clenched his fists and held his chin high.

"This chain," Clayton said as he pulled back the sleeves of the cloak to reveal delicate female wrists, "is magically neutral. It's my own invention that I've crafted over the years to help our youngest control their strong powers. It nulls, without destroying, the bearer's powers, holding them steady and under control without succumbing to mindlessness. For now, Sky remains calm, but is charged to no one.

"To accept Sky as your birthright, you must command her to your will. This will continue the lineage in your family and allow you to more easily call her to your command."

Clayton pointed to the chain and Draco could now see that where the chain split to attach to either shackle, a small sphere hung untouched by either end of the metal links. It simply floated and held the chain together by an unseen force. It was Clayton's neutral magic, acting like a magnet to all the chain links.

"When you're ready, Mr. Malfoy, all you need to do is touch this neutral sphere."

Giving the magical object a bit of a sneer, Malfoy nodded and pushed down his fears. They were senseless, and if he was going to serve the Dark Lord, Draco needed to prove he was capable of being courageous and brave. There was nothing to be afraid of; it was just a girl in a cloak.

Draco calmed himself, turned nervousness into curiosity, and reached out. The air around the chain seemed warmer, as if heated. A small smile came over his lips as the tips of his fingers touched the orb. For a split second, at the very moment he touched it, Draco had a sense of doubt about agreeing to this. Something didn't feel quite right, but as a Malfoy and by a force of bad habit, he ignored his doubts as quickly as they'd come. Malfoys were not ones to back out of plans.

For a moment, nothing happened when Malfoy touched the chain. His finger felt warm but for several seconds, nothing happened. He opened his mouth to say something but just as the smirk came back to his face, the chain around the Enchanted's wrists shimmered and slowly began to fade away. In its place, a small gold bracelet appeared on her wrist, a matching one on Malfoy's. She lowered her arms, free of the metal weight, and Draco's sneer turned blank. He looked down and saw that the thin gold link was plain and light, but contrasted harshly against his pale skin. Before he could say anything, Clayton spoke up,

"Well done, Mr. Malfoy. Just one final thing." he said, taking Draco's hand. He pulled out his wand and pointed it to Draco's arm and in a blink of blue light, the chain was gone.

"She's yours now," Clayton beamed, apparently thrilled with the news as his golden eyes shone with unknown delight. Behind him, Narcissa stood and came around to stand beside her son. She glanced at Sky but nodded to Clayton.

"Thank you, Clayton. I'm hoping she'll be a valuable asset to Draco."

"I have no doubt of that, Narcissa. Sky is one of my most prized children. Her potential is extraordinary and we've honed her powers to the best of our abilities. I can promise you that you'll be satisfied with her."

Malfoy vaguely listened to the adults talk about the girl in front of him as though she were a piece of merchandise with a guarantee attached. In his mind, Draco's attention was on the faceless girl and he tried to piece together the knowledge of what he'd just been given. An Enchanted, a girl who'd been trained her whole life simply to serve his family. The ideas seemed a little strange to Draco, but he knew that as a Malfoy, he could take to leadership like no other. Quick flickers of devilish thoughts couldn't be helped. Inspired, Draco spoke up and interrupted his mother and Clayton mid-conversation.

"What am I supposed to do with it while I'm at school?" he asked with a tone of disgust. He dreaded the idea of going back to school at all, knowing it was all pointless. He'd complete his task, and Hogwarts and its pathetic excuse for a headmaster would mean nothing.

Narcissa glanced conceitedly at Sky and nodded to her son. "I've already sent an owl to Hogwarts. You'll have the company with you for your train ride back."

"Yes," Clayton said with an enthusiastic smile. "You'll find Sky has quite a mass of stamina and has been trained diligently in all magical and muggle subjects of education."

Draco snorted. "You mean I'll have someone to shovel my homework onto."

Clayton nodded. "Precisely. Her education will guarantee you passing grades in all your classes, if you see fit to use her for that purpose."

Draco rolled his eyes in appeared boredom, but smiled at the idea of never having to write another paper. That would certainly make dealing with a pointless term more bearable.

"Let me assure you, Draco. If Hogwarts had eleven term years instead of seven, Sky would have passed with honours in all subjects already."

"And what of her powers, Clayton? I trust you've kept up to your reputation." Narcissa asked.

"Ah yes," he said and reached over to pull the hood back on Sky's cloak.

Clayton placed his hand under Sky's chin and lifted her head delicately so that she was looking directly at Narcissa. Draco heard his mother's sharp intake of breath. Her skin was ivory on a face as blank as any human expression could muster. Small, rosy lips neither frowned nor smiled and her cheeks were pale but revealed nothing.

"As you can see, she's progressed through many stages of her enchantment." Clayton drew attention to the eyes of the girl, which watched Narcissa unblinkingly. Her eyes were a shade of green between emerald and brown, outlined in black lashes. Her pupils, however, were an unnatural sunshine yellow, and blended smoothly into the natural green. Draco scanned her face with piercing scrutiny, found her cheeks too pale and her brown hair too short; it made her lips seem more pink than red.

"By morning, she'll have progressed another stage and her pupils will shift to a deep green." Clayton said, smiling to Narcissa. "Barely noticeable to anyone but Mr. Malfoy."

At the mention of his name, Sky made her first voluntary movement; she shifted her gaze to Draco. Like a statue suddenly coming alive, the sudden eye contact caught him off guard, and it was more intense then he'd anticipated. Narcissa made a low hissing noise.

"She looks awfully like her mother," she said, not trying to hide her disgust. Clayton nodded.

"An unfortunate side effect of her genetics. I assure you both that what she lacks in beauty she makes up for in power." He shook his head in some regretful thought, but with a smile turned Sky to face him.

"Sweet goodbyes, Sky," he said, hands on her shoulders. She bowed her head gently to him and Clayton motioned to his elderly companion, standing quietly in the background, to come forward.

"Narcissa," Clayton said with a hypnotic golden stare and smile, "It's been an honour and a pleasure. I wish your family all the best."

"Thank you, Clayton" was her curt reply. She nodded as the gentleman tipped his hat to her, following them to the fireplace and speaking to Clayton under her breath.

Unable to hear her, Draco glanced back to Sky from the corner of his eyes. He could see that she was looking up and he followed her stare instinctively. On the ceiling was his doodle, the unknown beauty's hair still flowing around in an imaginary wind, a smile on her perfect face. She winked at Draco and he looked down at Sky. She was looking at him now, and a moment of small understanding passed between them. For the first time, Sky blinked and Draco saw the smallest change in her expression. The corners of her lips came down into the most subtle frown he'd ever seen; had he not been staring at her, he wouldn't have noticed. Draco raised his wand and with a flick, the blue-eyed woman was gone.

Immediately, a flash of brilliant green light filled the room, and in the next moment Narcissa was standing beside her son. Her humph seemed much louder now that the Manor was empty of guests.

"There's a small room in the cellar where you'll stay. You're not to wander the house unless accompanied, and of course, do only as Draco tells you." She paused, waiting for Sky to say anything. She nodded and kept her head level, looking up at Narcissa.

"Don't make me regret this," Narcissa warned, looking down at the girl with a disgusted look. She turned and walked past Sky towards the other side of the room. She paused just before the foot of the stairs and looked over her shoulder,

"Come, Draco."

The young Malfoy glanced again at Sky, his Enchanted, and gave her a wrinkled-nose frown and left. To him, it seemed the right thing to do. After all, he had to protect his role as commander.

He joined his mother and took a few steps before looking behind him. The sneer he'd prepared to give her disappeared when he saw that she was gone.


	2. Show And Tell

A/N: And, as we keep this marathon moving, let's start the new school year, shall we?

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**Chapter 2 – Show & Tell**

The train ride back to Hogwarts seemed to be the longest ride of Draco's life. Dreading spending another year wasting his time with papers and lectures, his entire trip was spent grumbling over the precious time that would be lost to him. He tried to keep up with conversation as Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini discussed their summer, but felt forcibly distracted. Sworn to tell no one about the task he'd been assigned by the Dark Lord, there wasn't much about his summer he could discuss. Everyone knew about his father being locked away, and so no one asked. Pansy sat up close to him, trying to take a hold of his hand or be ready with any request, and because of this, the other half of Draco's mind was occupied with thoughts of his Enchanted.

He had no idea where Sky was, but knew she was en route with him somewhere. His mother had made it very clear that she didn't want to be seen in public with Sky, but told him not to worry or spend any spare thoughts on her; she would find her own way to the Hogwarts Express. Nearly two hours into the ride, he had yet to see her and spent far more time then he cared to admit wondering where she was.

Eventually, Pansy brought up the topic of Draco's birthday.

"I never got an invitation to your birthday party, Draco," she said with an exaggerated pout.

"There wasn't one, Pansy. Mother wouldn't let me have a party."

"What? Why on earth not?" she asked in an over-exaggerated tone.

"Too ashamed, probably," said Blaise's sneering voice. Unamused and not caring in the least, Draco simply shrugged.

"More then likely. Mother's been running the house elves like slaves these days. Well, more so than usual, anyways."

Pansy grimaced at the thought of Narcissa shouting at a house elf; if there was one woman in this world that Pansy was terrified of getting a lashing from, it was Ms. Malfoy.

"I reckon with your father gone, she's antsy for a good shag," Blaise said with a wink. "I'll be sure to send her an owl when we get to Hogwarts."

Draco sent him a glare. "Could you remind me again why we're friends?"

Pansy suddenly harrumphed, stopping the boys from starting a war or words. "It's terrible that your mother wouldn't let you have a party! I should hope she bought you something extraordinary to make up for it."

"Almost." He paused, holding her gaze. He could gander from the way his mother treated Sky that she wasn't a welcomed presence in their lives, but the thought of having something others didn't was too great an opportunity to pass up. Gloating was a quality he'd fine-tuned over the years. "I got an Enchanted."

An excited hush came over the train cart as Blaise and Pansy now watched Draco with intense curiosity. Crabbe and Goyle, sitting in the booth beside his with a few other boys in their year, stopped their conversation to listen. Several other nearby students who'd overheard Draco were suddenly all ears. Blaise, as always, seemed cynical.

"You're family has an Enchanted?" he asked with heavy doubt in his voice. Draco raised an eyebrow in scepticism.

"I shouldn't have to remind, Zabini, you that my family is very wealthy and very powerful. Why wouldn't we have an Enchanted?"

Blaise shrugged his shoulders in quiet response. He, just as the rest of them, knew very little about the Enchanted. What he did know kept him from asking questions, as the rest of the students listening hoped Draco would reveal details without being asked. Pansy, however, was less inclined to keep quiet.

"Your mother gave you an Enchanted for your birthday?" she asked, disbelief in her voice. Draco nodded, slightly annoyed at having to repeat himself to her. A kind of frown came to her face.

"Where is it?"

Draco shrugged. "Not sure. Mother said she'd be waiting for me when I arrived."

Pansy, under her breath, muttered a bit angrily at realizing Draco's Enchanted was a girl. Blaise chuckled a little and a few girls giggled in a nearby booth. Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a glance before Goyle spoke up,

"What's so funny?"

A tall, sixth year blond boy leaned over the back of his bench to answer Goyle's question.

"It's quite laughable that Mr. Malfoy here has a little slave for the Slytherin dormitory to enjoy, but has no idea where she is," Brent Harland chided, running a hand through his short, surfer boy hair. "Your days of dominance aren't starting off well, Malfoy."

Draco threw him a rude hand gesture, placing his hand on his wand. Harland smirked and chuckled again.

"You owe me a shot at her for that."

Draco huffed and looked out the window; he neither cared to ask or imagine what Harland was implying. He'd wasted enough time thinking about Sky when his thoughts should be on the Dark Lord. She'd caused him enough nuisances already and he'd yet to even hear her speak a word.

The two other boys sitting with Crabbe and Goyle returned back to their conversation. The several girls who were listening started whispering amongst themselves and Harland joined them after another smirk at Draco. Pansy and Blaise were quiet.

Out the window, Draco could see an open plain with a corn field just beyond it. A familiar red cottage with an enormous dairy silo stood on a hill, and the little house was a sign he'd become accustomed to that meant Hogwarts was getting close. Immediately, a vile taste filled Draco's mouth and he couldn't help the scowl on his face. It seemed such a large waste of time to send him to school to accomplish his mission. Anything he could learn from his classes, the Dark Lord could teach him. All this time he would spend sitting in lectures and doing homework was valuable time he wasn't spending at the Dark Lord's side. The only thing that kept Draco from questioning this logic, however, was the quickened heartbeat he got whenever he thought of his new leader. Draco knew that no matter what his task entailed, no matter how ridiculous or strange they seemed, he had to follow orders. He couldn't risk his life by asking question, and he knew his life was most certainly at stake.

Seeing the sun setting through a patch of track-side evergreens, Draco knew it wouldn't be long now. He couldn't help the anger that bubbled up in his throat. He couldn't keep it in much longer, but before he had a chance to say anything, the entire train cart went instantly dark.

* * *

"Draco, darling, you haven't touched a bit of food," Pansy noticed. "Is everything alright?"

He shrugged. Draco looked around out of boredom, trying to keep his mind calm. His encounter with Potter on the train rattled his nerves; kicking him in the face, however, let off quite a bit of steam. He glanced over at the Boy Wonder every now and then to see the bloody towel in his hands and watch the Weasel girl coo over him like an infant's mother. The sight itself was enough to curb his appetite, but Draco hadn't felt much like eating to begin with. He couldn't eat when he was angry and to make matters worse, Brent Harland caught him looking around and knew he was looking for his Enchanted.

The damn girl was still missing and many of his fellow Slytherins had noticed. Word spread quickly about his birthday gift and everyone was expecting a show and tell, and the inability to follow through on expectations at the hands of a magically numb muggle only served to annoy Draco even more. It was perhaps the only moment in his life where he wished the snakes in the pit he called a dormitory would keep to themselves.

Draco vaguely listened to the headmaster make his customary speech, hearing his story about the Dark Lord but finding himself unable to look up; making eye contact with Dumbledore made him nauseous. Instead, he looked past Dumbledore towards Professor Snape. As always, the professor's face was blank. Since Draco had stepped through the gates, Snape had been particularly present and it wasn't like him to hover. Getting nothing from the potion master's face, Draco looked back down to his food. Suddenly, it all looked like vividly coloured mush.

All at once, loud rustling and shuffling feet was all Draco could hear. Everyone was leaving the Hall and he got to his feet with Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle at his heels. Before he even took a step out of the Great Hall, however, his Head of House was at his side.

"Would you come with me, Mr Malfoy," he said in his typical dry tone. It wasn't a question, and Draco shot him a glance but followed. He didn't even look back at Pansy when she made a noise of protest; Snape probably just wanted to go over his duties again as Prefect. He motioned for his friends to go on to the dorms without him and followed Snape.

Snape led Draco behind the Head Table and towards a door he recognized from his forth year as the same door Potter had gone into when his name flew out of the Goblet of Fire. Unamused by being denied an early night, Draco gave up trying to fight his anger and annoyance. If nothing else, it might drain all his energy and he'd fall asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow.

Through a heavy oak door, Draco was lead into an amber-lit room. He didn't care much for the décor; too much gold and too welcoming for his taste. He noticed a few professors were standing around, watching him, and he stopped at the top of a small set of stairs. To his right, Snape joined Professor McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick. To Draco's left, he saw Madame Hootch, Professor Slughorn and Dumbledore. In front of the Headmaster, staring at Draco with placid eyes, was Sky. He couldn't stop himself from throwing her an angered look.

He noticed, despite himself, that she was wearing muggle clothes; black denim pants and a plain purple t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but against his perfectly ironed black suit, she looked plain and poorly dressed. He wondered where she'd gotten those clothes and was suddenly curious about what other things she might possess. He'd only ever seen her in her cloak, and had never seen any bags or luggage that might belong to her.

Draco suddenly chided himself. Why in the world was he thinking on her again?

"Magic can do tremendous things, don't you think, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, a sad look in his eyes. There was no doubt he was thinking back to when people he knew were in danger, died at the hands of the same force that could have saved them, that saved so many from peril. With only a small pause, the Headmaster continued,

"I've had the pleasure of meeting this young woman," he said. Draco gave a small nod, knowing it was polite to thank him but not feeling in much of a mood to be courteous.

"Your mother sent me an owl to inform me that you had inherited your family's protector."

"This has never been allowed before," McGonagall interrupted, her tone sour. Sprout puffed a bit of air out of her chest, like she was holding on to an onslaught of words. "The protection here at Hogwarts has always been impenetrable."

"Narcissa is a worried mother, as any other. She was every reason to want to protect her child," Snape retorted. The other professors watched quietly as Dumbledore raised a hand for silence. It was as if Draco had walked in on a debate that had been going on for hours already, each professor with a stand on the issue that they seemed unwilling to bend on.

"Surely this is a bit rash, Albus," Sprout pressed on. Dumbledore nodded slightly. Suddenly, Draco's anger was beginning to take flight again. He didn't care much for Sky in all this, but wouldn't let a bunch of half-wit teachers take away his possessions. He was a Malfoy, and Dumbledore was nothing to him anymore. Draco opened his mouth to say something but was beaten to the punch by Dumbledore.

"Minerva has a point. Never in the past has Hogwarts allowed a magically enchanted person to reside in this school. The use of magic in this form is not condoned here."

Professor Sprout nodded once with a satisfied look on her face. The Headmaster, however, was not finished.

"Narcissa, nevertheless, is correct in reminding us that every day we face new and powerful threats to the safety of this school, its students and staff." Over his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore gave Draco a serious gaze. He eyed the boy with such a force that Draco instinctively lowered the degree of his anger. That split second of habitual obedience only served to fuel his annoyance as Dumbledore did not look away.

"Though I have no doubts in regards to the security at Hogwarts, I see the current circumstances as a valid reason to keep the last heir to the Malfoy name protected as much as possible."

Professor Sprout frowned visibly and crossed her arms in defeat. Madame Hooch mumbled something to Professor Slughorn, who nodded slowly in agreement as they watched Sky with curiosity. Professor Flitwick waved his wand quickly and from a drawer he levitated some robes and clothes to McGonagall. She took them and inspected them. Draco, for his part, was surly; all he wanted was to go to bed.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said, looking at him over her glasses. "The staff have met your companion and will address her by her given name. She is not to attend class with you but is welcome to leave the Slytherin dormitory, at your discretion." She let out a small sigh, and Draco could only interpret her expression as disappointed. In what, he wasn't sure, but he noticed that her face softened as she turned to Sky with the robes in her hands.

"Though you won't be attending class with Mr. Malfoy, we understand that some families request discretion when it comes to their… family heirlooms. If you wear these robes when in the company of others, you won't be noticed." McGonagall held out the package to Sky. She looked at it quickly then looked over at Draco. Silent, as always. A pause broke out.

"I believe she is waiting for your approval to accept the gift, Mr. Malfoy," Slughorn said quietly. Draco eyed Sky and saw the look of questioning in her face.

"Well, go on then. Take it," he sneered. She took the robes from McGonagall and bowed her head gently.

"Thank you."

At this point in his life, there wasn't much that shocked Draco. After everything that he'd seen and everything he'd gone through over the summer, he considered himself reasonably jaded. He couldn't, however, control his shock when Sky spoke for the first time.

Through the summer months, Draco and his mother hadn't been home much. Disgusted by the simple idea of Sky, Narcissa had ordered her to stay at Malfoy Manor all the nights and days they were gone. When they were home, Sky remained constantly absent, at his mother's request. The few times he did see her, she would leave as quickly as she'd come. Never had she spoken; she didn't have a reason to. Now, strangely, she chose to speak and Draco went wide eyed in shock. Within seconds, Snape came up and hit Draco in the back of the head.

"Try not to look so stunned, Mr. Malfoy," he said in his usual dry voice. "The inheritance of an Enchanted is a prestigious affair at best. For the sake of us all and your family, you'd do best to at least _try_ to know what you're doing."

Annoyed, Draco glared at Snape then turned to Sky. She immediately looked up, clothes grasped against her chest. Against the silver-and-green lined black robes, her skin was disgustingly pale, making the gold bracelet around her wrist seem awkwardly out of place and far too elegant for her bony arm and hand. Draco nodded over his shoulder and left the room without a word, Sky at his heels.

Through the Great Hall, across corridors and down stairs, she followed silently. Draco noticed that her steps were as quiet as humanely possible and her passivity calmed his anger a little. He attributed his love for obedient service as a Malfoy trait he'd proudly inherited and wondered how much she'd know to do without his direction. The thought amused him enough to turn his anger into pure exhaustion.

When they reached the entrance to the Slytherin dormitory, Draco eyed Sky and saw her face showed no sign of fatigue.

"Brimestone," he said to the bare stone wall. A door opened smoothly and Draco led them in. Though the night was quickly getting late, the excitement of the first day of term had many students filling space in the common room, chatting and catching up on summer stories while comparing class schedules. In a corner, sitting smugly and comfortably in a carved armchair was Brent Harland, four girls surrounding him; two at his feet, one sitting on the arm of the chair and a perky brunette nestled in his lap. He whispered to the girl on the arm and she giggled, causing the other three to giggle as well. Harland looked up, and upon spotting Draco standing in the doorway, whispered something to the blond on the armrest. All four girls looked up at Draco at the same time. They rose out of Harland's way and he approached Draco, a pretty-boy smile on his face.

Before Harland could say a word, however, Pansy pounced on Draco and Sky, sneering behind her fake smile. She took Sky's chin in her fingers and lifted her face, examining it. For a split second, Draco had the urge to slap her hand off Sky's face, but suppressed it. Nonsense; she was just as much an object as the status scattered about the school.

"Quite a bony little thing, don't you think?" Pansy said without reservation. "Too skinny. And her hair is too short."

"I like it short," Harland said, cutting smoothly in front of Pansy. She instinctively moved aside for him, as if he was higher up on some imaginary food chain, and she scrutinized Sky from over his shoulder. Harland, eyeing Sky's face with a smile, touched her lips with a finger. "It shows off her cute ears," he said while brushing her cheek.

"Certainly not as pretty as I imagined. Don't you agree, Draco?" Pansy said without missing a beat. Draco shrugged in response, watching Harland with alert eyes.

"I haven't paid enough attention to her yet to care," he mumbled, his lips tightening as Harland whispered something inaudible to Sky. The Enchanted simply stood there, eyes locked with his but not moving in the slightest. She flexed and moved as she was forced to by the hands touching her, not resisting in any way when Pansy had lifted her face, and obeyed Harland's directions now as he turned her face to the side. He ran his fingers down her neck, watching her as if no one else was in the room. Suddenly, Draco was paying attention.

All this made his skin unexpectedly start to crawl. The fact that she was obeying without question was in her nature, but to be obeying Harland was near insulting. He looked at her as though she were a prize, a trophy, and the other students in the common room were beginning to take notice of the show. All those eyes on her, watching and criticizing… It made the hairs on the back of Draco's neck stand on end. As Harland's fluttering hand made its way down to Sky's waist, a sudden bubble in Draco's stomach came ferociously up into his throat. His fists clenched and he opened his mouth, but was a split second too late.

Sky suddenly pushed Harland away with a firm but delicate hand, taking a step back. Her face changed to a determined look, near proud, but no smile. Her voice was quiet but resolute.

"Only my Heta can touch me. I ask politely that you don't do it again."

A shocked pause broke out. None of the students, including Draco himself, knew if that behaviour was acceptable. Pansy pushed Harland aside and sneered at Sky.

"She's American," she said with a tone of disgust. More confusing to the students than her behaviour was her lack of accent. Without a distinguishable inflection in her voice, the Slytherins were suddenly face to face with Hogwarts' first Western visitor. Astoria Greengrass came up beside Pansy and looked at Sky with bewilderment.

"Where are you from?" she asked. Draco looked over his shoulder at Sky and she immediately looked up at him. A flicker passed over her eyes and the bubble in Draco's throat broke out.

"Canada," they said in unison. Draco went wide-eyed; he had no idea where that answer had come from. Sky continued on as if nothing were strange.

"I've been in training for most of my life," she said, looking at Draco. She turned her gaze to Astoria, her face once again plain. "I don't remember much before it, but I know that I lived in Canada before I was rescued."

Harland, his overconfidence shaken by having been pushed away, straightened his back in agitation. Immediately, the vivacious brunette that had been cuddled in his lap minutes ago came to his side and snaked her arms around his waist. He reached up her remarkably short skirt and grabbed her bare ass, his shoulders relaxing a little.

"Is she even allowed to do that?" he asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking. Was an Enchanted, a subservient meant to heed every command, allowed to set her own boundaries? Draco looked over at Sky again, who clutched her robes to her chest with a little more force then necessary.

Just then, the door to the dormitory opened and with a swoosh of a black cloak, Snape came into the common room. In his typical exaggerated movements, he scanned the mob of students with a blank face, standing behind the Enchanted, before looking down at Sky over his crooked nose.

"The boundary you crossed. Mr. Harland, is not a rule created by her but rather a rule designed by her caregivers." He paused, glancing at Draco who scowled in return. "It is to ensure she remains loyal to her family." Snape looked over at the girl resting her head on Harland's shoulder, apparently uncaring of his hand on her bare skin. The professor stepped around Sky and took each of their shoulders, separating the teens from each other. They came apart without a fuss, like peeling back a sticker.

"It's to ensure she isn't touched, so to remain pure for her charge." Draco felt a ripple run through the group of students, or was that just his own skin tingling?

"As for the rest of you," Snape said, addressing the onlooking students, "Be aware that Mr. Malfoy is the one who sets the rules when it comes to his company. I expect you all to treat her as you would any other peer." Over his shoulder, Snape looked at Sky. "At least while in the company of others."

"To your dormitories, now. Anyone late for class tomorrow morning losses 5 points."

A collective groan went through the students as they were sent off to bed. Snape had a terrible reputation for making sure there were no first-day parties in the Slytherin dorm. He ignored a few older students as they took up reading by the fireplace, but most of the students separated into small groups and slowly made their way up the stairs to their bedrooms after saying goodnights and chatting a little longer. Draco and Harland exchanged glares but he turned his back on the Slytherin Prince to return to his chair, the brunette following at his heels.

Snape watched the crowd of student slowly disperse before turning back to look at Draco. He looked at the teen with a blank face, but Draco could see his eyes were demanding. He was making it clear that he wouldn't let the boy out of his sight longer than was necessary, but Draco could care less. He shrugged at his professor, who dropped his glare and turned to Sky. His mouth was tight, as if Sky's presence disgusted or offended him.

"There is an extra room on the third floor of the girls dormitories. You'll sleep there." Sky made no move to leave, but instead kept her chin straight and looked at Draco from the corner of her eyes. He looked over his shoulder at her for a moment, scanning her face intently before making a small nod. Without a word, she crossed the common room to the staircase, gracefully avoiding making any contact with every person along the way. Against his common sense, Draco noted that Harland was right; Her ears were rather adorable.

He watched Sky disappear into the girls half of the dormitory, and immediately a strange sensation came over him. His right arm felt light, as if something he was holding onto or carrying was suddenly gone. He shoved his hands in his pockets to shake off the feeling, but it only dulled with the movement. As Snape left, Pansy came up beside Draco and wrapped her arms around his right shoulder, sufficiently distracting him. She immediately started on about Sky, muttering complaints about her wardrobe or appearance, but Draco didn't respond. He looked across the room and noticed Harland staring at the doorway Sky had just disappeared into and Draco was immediately overcome with a sense of jealousy. He frowned and Pansy noticed.

"Is everything alright, Darling? You seem upset."

Draco shook his head, trying to shake off the sting. To Pansy it sufficed as an answer.

"Maybe you should rest. You didn't eat much at dinner and you look thoroughly put out."

Draco rubbed his forehead and sighed. He could feel the onset of a headache.

"I'm just exhausted. Long summer days with very little sleep," he said. She nodded as if she understood. He knew she couldn't. "I'll see you in Herbology tomorrow morning, Pansy."

She immediately let go of him and said a pleasant 'goodnight' to Draco's back as he walked to his own dormitories. He stepped swiftly passed Harland, keeping his head high but making no eye contact. The teen knew better than to push his luck with Draco, and tomorrow was a new day.

Up the winding stairs and into his room, Draco found the bed with his trunk at its foot and flopped down on his back with exasperation. He let out a breath and kicked off his shoes, not caring where they landed. His body felt heavy with emotions and stress, his anger sufficiently riding him of any energy he had left. Now, all that was left was his need for sleep. He sat up with effort and stripped off his jacket and tie, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing the garments on top of his trunk. Draco crawled under the cold sheets, not worried in the least that it would wrinkle his expensive pants.

"Tomorrow I'll find a use for that wretched girl and get her out of my sight," he mumbled to himself. A small part of him was glad that he would be in class for large portions of the day, giving him ample time to think about what he would have his Enchanted do while he was around to utilize her skills. His only concern now was getting rid of the image behind his eyes and finding peaceful sleep.

Unfortunately for Draco, neither of those were easily done, as the reflection of Sky wouldn't leave his mind and sleep was not so peaceful. All he could see were those eyes as they looked to him for an answer to a question he didn't know, green mixed lazily with the evergreen of her pupils as magic swirled behind them. In sleep, Draco struggled as his nerves were plagued with a need to find the answers, give orders and stop the insistent staring of his Enchanted. Draco found no rest but instead dreamt of his mission, playing over and over again the conversation as he was given his orders, and the relived the fear that bubbled up every time he realized that he had no idea if he could even accomplish it. Beads of sweat dripped down his face as Draco was plagued with sleep that was less restful then being awake. He tossed and turned and muttered, and in sleep he found no peace, but instead stark realization that he was more afraid of his mission then he was proud.

In a room in the girls dormitories, sitting on the dark sill of her window, Sky felt every moment of Draco's torment, and did not sleep.

* * *

A/N: If only Draco knew the truth about how many sleepless nights I'm about the make him endure. And that Brent guy. What a douche, eh? Beach Boy wannabe, if you ask me. I wonder what kind of trouble he's going to cause me…

Keep on rollin'.

~B


End file.
